I went out to Tsugaike for a little experiment. The equipment I used was
CRISPI's Sydpolen and BD's VarmonteX200cm. It's the most fascinating combination
for walking on flat ground, but on the other hand, it's the opposite when
it comes to going downhill on a hard slope! After all, my shoes are so
soft. So what exactly did I want to confirm with that combination? This
is it. "How on earth am I braking while descending?" And I'll
skip the long technical discussion and here are my impressions after watching
the video. "As expected, he turns around quickly and skids down. And
the two skis are always parallel. Amazing ==!!" Selfies are convenient,
aren't they? You can check yourself like this (← well, if you hold the
camera with one hand, 30-50% of the results are not bad...). Now, the question
"Is parallel really that great?" The answer is "Yes, it
is great." The first reason is the brakes. Let's assume that you have
two legs. The load on each ski is completely different when you use two
skis to brake against a fall than when you use only one ski even though
you have two. Also, if the two skis are in the same direction (←parallel)
and can output in the same direction, it's simple and easy. On the other
hand, if you use two skis to brake but the direction of each ski is different,
it becomes complicated. This is especially noticeable when there is a difference
in height between the foot on the downhill side and the foot on the uphill
side, that is, on steep slopes. Did you know that telemark turns do not
become parallel on steep/super steep slopes? ? With that style where your
feet are in front and behind. It's what we call A-tele. It doesn't become
parallel. Therefore, braking is not simple but complicated. That's why
you don't have to say that telemark is weak on steep slopes, but you hear
people say, "Telemark is fun on gentle slopes." Also, I have
witnessed a school that goes to the mountains with customers shouting "No
telemark turns!" from the bottom of a steep slope to the customers
at the top. This is because customers will fall if they move their feet
back and forth. In other words, they won't be parallel. Apart from the
thought that it's a telemark skiing school, I thought that they were putting
safety first. Apart from that school, if you're skiing in the mountains,
alpine turns are the first priority even with telemark equipment. There
are also places that say, "Let's try telemark turns if the environment
is right." I would like to respect that conclusion because it's the
conclusion that they have reached after skiing in the mountains with their
customers for more than a decade. Now, I call the general idea of ??turning
heel-freeness into the practice of telemark turns A-tele. On the other
hand, B-tele is the embodiment of heel-freeness as an advantage in braking
operation. And B-tele is easier to do with low-cuff boots! That's why I
can ski down the mountain with NNNBC, XPLORE, and soft shoes. It all depends
on the idea. The parallel is for braking. If you are interested in B-tele,
please apply. December 12, 2024 PS: Go to a steep slope first. Make a
video of yourself doing telemark turns there and check it out, especially
if you're a telemark ski instructor.